Various surgical procedures such as liposuction, reconstructive surgery, cancer surgery or emergency triage events would tend to produce pre or post-operative heavy bleeding or swelling in one or more areas of the patient. When this occurs, the patient would find it difficult to utilize his or her bed garments, such as pajamas or nightgowns or other street clothes immediately after a surgical procedure or at an accident event. The patient would have one or more areas of swelling or bleeding preventing the patient's own garment from holding medically placed absorbent pads in the correct location and being sanitary. Additionally, these garments might also irritate, contaminate or infect any sutures used to close incisions or wounds of the patient after the surgery or accident. Further, conventional bed garments or street clothes are not produced of a material that is capable of compressing the skin to subcutaneous body parts. Additionally, the patient's conventional bed garments would make it difficult to open and close the garment for various reasons, such as the evacuation of bodily functions or changing the dressings and absorbent pads required after surgery.
A number of garments have been produced which try to address this particular problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,716, issued to Baum is directed to pants for recreational use and for physically infirmed or handicapped persons allowing the pants to be easily donned and removed. A releasable seam along the outside of each leg of these pants provided with separate hook and loop fastener segments would assist in allowing handicapped or infirmed persons to open and close the pants. Unfortunately, these side openings would cause the patient to twist and bend the body in order to open and close these releasable seams. The Baum closure places hooks and eyes below the Velcro.RTM. fastener corresponding to areas in which surgical sutures would be placed, thereby causing pain to the patient and difficulty applying and removing the garment.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,914, issued to Hesch illustrates an invalid garment having opening and closing slits placed in the back of the trouser leg. This slits are opened and closed utilizing Velcro.RTM. fasteners. The position of this opening would make it difficult for the patient to easily remove the garment without assistance from other individuals. A stiff Velcro.RTM. fastener utilized by Hesch would also make it difficult for a patient or healthcare provider to apply and remove the garment as well as potentially cause pain when the patient physically moves. Furthermore, once the patient's swelling or bleeding begins to decrease, the garments described in the Baum and Hesch patents would cause the garment to become ill-fitting. This would result in the patient having to purchase a second, smaller garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,803, issued to Hyman describes a surgical chest dressing provided with two non-elastic and non-stretchable strips 30, 32 used as Velcro.RTM. fastening elements. However, as is true with respect to the Hesch invalid garment, the non-elastic nature of the strips would make it difficult for the patient to easily move in or size the garment, particularly immediately after surgery.
The E-Z-ON Medical Surgical Supply Company produces a number of compression garments. These garments, while including two side openings, utilize thick stiff zippers that force the patient to twist and turn to open and close the garment. The ends of the zippers include a sharp nylon construction scratching the skin of the patient. The patient needs to bend from the waist to the knee in order to fit the zipper parts together after bending and hooking hooks in order to reapply the garment. This operation must be done for both sides of the garment and is quite painful to swollen limbs. When the zipper is re-applied, it becomes stiff and thick and difficult to bend the body against it, thereby causing unnecessary pain to the healing sites. Sets of market produced hook-and-eyes are sewn onto the garment underneath the zipper. Hooks-and-eyes press against the skin at the surgical incision sites causing the patient undue pressure and pain. Additionally, the thickness of these pieces cause difficulty for a patient to roll over in bed, each of these garments would incorporate only a single size, thereby requiring the patient to purchase additional, smaller garments as the swelling subsides.
More specifically, the E-Z-ON garments have no woven in or sewn in support panels for the breast/chest area or the back. For the lower body garment, there are no support panels or very limited support panels. A half square pattern sewn over the garment hides a bulky seam that impinges on the body of the patient. The male version of this garment does not have this panel.
The E-Z-ON upper body garment for male and female have under arm side seams that are extra bulky against the skin. The lower body garments for the females have inner thigh seams and outer waist to below the knee seams causing impingement on the body. Having four parts of a garment to cut and sew is a timely and costly method of production. Several of the E-Z-ON garments have upper body convenient frontal openings and Velcro.RTM. closures at the shoulders. E-Z-ON has several lower body garments having two side openings with thick stiff zippers that force the patient to twist and turn to open or close these garments. The ends of the zipper have unfinished ends leaving the sharp nylon construction to scratch the skin of the patient. The patient needs to bend from the waist to the knee in order to fit the zipper parts together after bending and hooking the hooks first, in order to reapply the garment. The patient may need to do this for both sides. This activity is quite painful on swollen limbs. When the zipper is reapplied it becomes stiff and thick to bend the body against it to do the other side, causing unnecessary pain to the healing sites. Market produced hooks and eyes are sewn onto the garment underneath the zipper. The hooks and eyes press against the skin or at the surgical incision sites causing the patient undue pressure and pain. For the male garments zippers, hook and eye closures that are found at the inner thigh going from crotch to leg cause the patient to bend all the way over to this area, sit and try to manipulate the closure or get someone else to assist in the procedure.
Prior art does not illustrate a flexible fabric fastener. Zippers and hooks and eyes as closures are bulky due to layers of these devices and placket fabric coverings. For patients using garments with zippers on either side of the inner leg causes difficulty in walking and can chafe the skin. The garments with the zippers on the outer sides of the garment are stiff and bending at knees and hips remain difficult to maneuver stairs, laying down or getting out of bed. It is more difficult to roll over in bed against the thick edge of the inserted devices.
Additionally, the prior art does not employ any multiple sizing used in a single garment.
The E-Z-ON garments are provided with a three inch waist band on the lower body garment. It generates a binding feeling for the wearer. When the wearer bends over to manipulate closing the garment or putting on outer wear, the wide waste band bends in half doubling it's thickness at the waist. It cuts into the skin leaving a red mark. It becomes more difficult to have flexible body movement and is uncomfortable to sit in.
The E-Z-ON garments are not equipped with a folded hem. The zipper leaves the top and bottom of the fabric splitting apart with no firm closure. The raw edge of the fabric is camouflaged with a stretchable lace sewn on top. After a few washings this lace falls away from the garment and leaves the raw edge of the fabric exposed. The length of the pant leg is either at the knee or just below the knee causing it to ride up or bind behind the knee. The patient will have pain walking or doing other movements like that while wearing street clothes over the garment.
The E-Z-ON garments can have market produced hooks and rounded eyes sewn on the inside of the fabric closure of the garment at a layer below the zipper. The evenly placed hooks and eyes on the inside of the garment, more often then not, press against the sites of surgical punctures in liposuction procedure and otherwise cause impingement of the tissues in other procedures. The hooks and eyes are originally covered with enamel paint, which disappears after several washings leaving bare metal against the skin.
In the prior art the fabric type is nylon or nylon mesh, which allows for undetermined compression, but for some skin types reactions can be stressful. Some patients can have heat rashes, be unable to expel perspiration, have a reaction to the fiber itself or experience other skin irritation without the flow of air to the skin. There are only two choices of color and no choice of garment style. This can be a psychological impairment to healing since some procedure can leave the patient with some depressed mood. The appearance of such a large body bandage is all important to the patient's visual image of his/her self at this critical time.
When comparing previously produced garments which function for compression of body parts pre and post surgery, the present invention provides innovative and distinct advantages over those products. The present invention uses a flexible fabric fastener which stretches, a feature not exhibited by Velcro.RTM. fasteners. The present invention has multi-sizing with it's structure and strips laid near each other will cause garments to have two or more sizes depending on the need. The flexible fabric fastener is thin, washable, dryable and adjustable. It will take on the shape of the movement of the person when sewn into a garment whilst the fabric stretches. A garment having the flexible fabric fastener, as it's principle closure, creates the opportunity for the frontal closure. Health care workers, emergency triage personnel, and the patient will have an easier time applying the garment pre and post surgery. The present invention is made of fabric that will have consistent compression for the purpose needed. It will be constructed in a durable manner thus making it possible to launder and dry the garment often. It will be suitable for rehabilitation exercises whether in or out of the water. It will have a set of three privacy cradles with each unit for cleanliness. It is cost efficient since it is one piece construction. Two garments that are uni-gender take the place of four or five garments. Multi-sizing within the garment decreases the need for more than one piece. The present invention has support panels that are woven or sewn in for security of the healing tissues and benefit of the patient psyche. The fabric will be absorbable of perspiration. Market produced hooks and eyes will be sewn to the garment for security only on the outside of the garment, thereby reducing pressure sores and or other impingements to the skin. Colors and styling of the units will be reminiscent of fashionable underwear or sports gear rather than corsets and braziers. In all ways detailed care will be taken in the manufacture of these items to prevent injury to the patient by the garment. The present invention in it's production will look for the comfort and the care of the sensitive patient and support their need for self worth.